Evolution
by tectrices
Summary: //very eventual Rayne// It takes time to come to terms with a new situation. River and Jayne move slowly towards something greater than themselves, and this story takes a look at ten key moments along the way. Written from color and shakespeare prompts
1. Win a Battle, Lose a War

**Title:** Evolution  
**Chapter:** Win a Battle, Lose a War  
**Author:** ILB (or an ardent rain)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairing:** none in this chapter (over-reaching for the story, though, is Rayne)  
**Set:** post-BDM about a month  
**Written For:** the LJ comm 2by2 Fics  
**Prompts:** 1: Green; 2: "Wherefore refoice? What conquest brings he home?" -Marellus; _Julius Caesar_ (I.1.32)

**-Notes:** I think this may well be one of the best fics I've written. Call me biased (heh), but I really, really like it. I hope my readers enjoy it, as well!

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A month had passed since _Serenity_ had been patched up and they'd taken her back into the black. The ship still flew – she was battered and bruised, but with new parts and – Kaylee always teased – the sheer, stubborn force of Mal's will, she would always be flying.

The same could not be said of her crew.

They were all healing, however slowly; Jayne didn't tease the others or make as many thoughtless remarks, but other than that he seemed unchanged. Simon and Kaylee were taking the first tentative steps into a new relationship – lovely and awkward, blooming more and more each day. Mal was friendly in a conscious, over-done way; the loss of crew still haunted him, but the overall sense of _rightness_ pervaded beyond anything else, and he internalized his grief just as he always did. Inara was the least composed anyone had ever seen her. She'd trusted the Alliance and it had failed her. That left her standing on shaky ground and she was suddenly in a situation for which she did not have a ready-made response. She fought harder than ever with Mal, but she was raw – more sincere – and he didn't fault her for her underhanded remarks or her condescension as he once had.

Zoë had tried to go on normally; she'd hidden the pain they all knew she felt. And everyone had let her – no one, not even Mal, wanted to reopen the still-raw wound, but they all dreaded the fallout. She'd broken after three weeks and locked herself in the bunk she'd shared with her husband for three days. Anyone who passed had heard her crying, but they all knew better than to offer any sort of condolence. When she'd finally come out, wearing one of his shirts with bright colors and bold, tropical patterns, she'd presented his dinosaurs to River and said that if the girl was going to be the new pilot she'd need all the help she could get.

River had nodded demurely, taking the plastic reptiles in small, reverent hands and giving an oath to safeguard all their secrets.

Everyone had been happy to see River on the mend. Though unquestionably damaged, her mind seemed better able to cope without the pressure of Miranda's secret weighing it down. She no longer had the wild, destructive fits of her early days aboard; she barely talked at all, instead spending most of her time alone in the dorm she slept in or on the bridge.

It was only at night, when everyone else was asleep, that she dared to freely move about.

She went to the galley, her belly rumbling and her mouth dry. Plucking nervously at her skirts, she walked in and flicked on the light. Something told her she wanted green tea – and she knew Simon had saved her some dumplings from dinner.

No one really trusted her to cook without hurting someone – possibly herself – so they'd never bothered telling her where anything was. But Simon, always the attentive guardian, had gotten her self-heating containers of tea: from a company called "Jade Planet" as she still had trouble with Blue Sun. She dug out the dumplings and pulled the snap on her tall container of fragrant tea. Then, as it slowly grew from cold to hot, she took her treats and scuttled under the table.

A moment or two later she felt another presence – tired but otherwise feeling very little – moving towards her. She held her tea possessively as she watched big feet in holey green socks come padding in. River frowned.

"I see you, Jayne Cobb," she said sullenly, feeling annoyed – though attributing it to him.

His sudden spike of panic squeezed her head. "Wha… Hey! What're you doin' here? Where are you?"

She crouched down low, her chin to the floor, staring at his big toe as it peeked out from the tip of his sock. "Underneath," she said vaguely, her attention wavering from his presence to the internal stimuli it brought.

"You ain't… you ain't possessin' nothin' are you? Not like a ghost?"

She scoffed lightly as she reached out and tapped his toe.

He kicked out reflexively before sinking down to glare at her. "Why the hell you hidin' under a table, crazy?"

It stung to be reminded she wasn't sane, but she felt too many other things for that one little slight to matter. "You came with intent. Thievery. The dumplings are mine."

He scowled in disappointment. "Your brother said you weren't hungry."

She gave him a measured, impatient look. "Simon lied."

Jayne rolled his eyes, wishing fervently she would just go back to bed. He straightened up, and quickly River stuffed the remaining dumplings into her mouth, unwilling to part with even one. He fumbled around, and she followed his movements in his mind. He got a few protein squares, dumped them on a plate, and sat down at the table. He pulled his chair intentionally close to the table, hoping in the back of his mind to maybe _accidentally_ kick her. River hissed quietly and slithered back out, taking a seat as far away from him as she could get.

"Why're you 'wake?" he asked through half a mouthful of protein.

She just gave him a one shouldered shrug, staring at her tea. "Could inquire similarly of you."

"Couldn't sleep. Got hungry. Remembered those ruttin' dumplins, but 'pparently I got here a little too late for that." He stared at her for a long moment. "You always up at night? Your gorram brother goes on 'bout how he never sees you no more. Hell, I thought you was doin' us all a favor, but I figure the prissy doctor's missin' his crazy little sister."

River shifted uncomfortably, unwilling to confide her problems in someone with whom she shared such animosity. "Kaylee keeps him busy. They are one and one now. I shouldn't interfere."

Jayne grinned; River wrinkled her nose at him. "Man, those two're like rabbits, huh?"

She took a sip of her tea to avoid responding.

He gobbled up the last of his protein squares, clearly ready to get away from her. With a satisfied grunt, he stood, then dumped his plate in the sink. Scratching his stomach, he stared at her warily. River met his gaze evenly, already hearing the words he was about to say.

"So you really are better, huh? I don't like you –prob'ly never will, but I ain't opposed to anything that'll put you out of a mind to do any more o' that slicin'." He leaned back against a little counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Still Rivers run deep," she said cryptically, slowly turning her tall, plastic container of tea in a circle between her hands.

"Huh?" Jayne just stared at her dumbly.

She frowned. "Go to bed, man-with-a-girl's-name."

"Don't you start that again," he growled. She kept her eyes away from him and wiggled her toes, growing increasingly more agitated the longer he stood there. But Jayne didn't leave, instead staring at her. She did not like the flavor of his thoughts. "So. You _ain't_ better."

"The secret is gone," she said tersely. "The girl will continue to improve." But he had caught her. He hadn't noticed that she'd intentionally been avoiding everyone and he certainly didn't care, but he'd managed to perceptively recognize the thing she was most scared of. He was indifferent; there was no pressing force, no strong, willful emotion knocking at her mental door – his mind was like a soft, grassy field, one she could lay down in and enjoy without being overwhelmed. If he wasn't crude, uneducated and anti-association-with-crazy-persons she might have actually appreciated that about him. River sighed. "You are right."

"Knew you were still crazy." He squinted at her speculatively, wondering if she was still dangerous.

"No," she said tightly, the weight of a feeling all her own leaving her a little terrified. "Sanity is coming. Without Miranda at my heels there is no need to keep running away." She took another long sip of her tea, draining the last little bit and setting the deep green container back on the table. "But I feel everything – every burst of hope, every fear, every irritation… And not just my own. Everyone's." She shivered fretfully.

"So? Ain't you always had that t'deal with?" He scoffed at her mentally.

"Yes." She looked down at the table, letting her hair fall around her face. "But why celebrate the end of a lesser evil when it brings a greater one? When the girl was wrapped in her shroud of madness, she only knew that she felt it. Now she is sane enough to know how much it hurts."

"Oh." Jayne shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Well why the hell're you tellin' me? I don't care." She didn't respond, smiling down at the table. He plucked her empty cup of tea from the table and threw it in the waste receptacle. "Ain't you tired yet? Go on; get out o' here."

She rose, running her hand along the smooth wood of the table. "I find your indifference to be a comfort." She titled her head and looked up at him, her eyes clear and the most lucid he'd ever seen them. Jayne swallowed and wondered if, though her words indicated approval, she was finally going to make good on her promise to kill him with her brain. "Appallingly rude. But to be around an empty head is a comfort." She stood there a moment longer, watching as he fidgeted under her gaze. Then she giggled. "Do not worry; played a royal flush when she really had a pair."

Jayne scowled, not wanting to let her know he didn't understand.

"Man-called-Jayne's fears are unfounded." She stretched her arms out like wings and yawned, her head tilted back. "Girl was only _bluffing_."

And with a haughty twirl, she left the mess, mumbling something about green, green grass and black holes as she walked gracefully away.

Alone at last, Jayne stared at the table in deep thought.

"Well damn," he said quietly, rubbing at one eye. He sighed. "I really wanted more o' them dumplings."

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Thanks for reading! Feedback's always appreciated! :)


	2. The Art of War

**Title:** Evolution  
**Chapter:** The Art of War (2/10)  
**Author:** ILB (or an ardent rain)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairing:** Mal/Inara (over-reaching for the story, though, is Rayne)  
**Set:** post-BDM about a month  
**Written For:** the LJ comm 2by2 Fics  
**Prompts:** 1: Red; 2: "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." -Claudius; _Hamlet_ (III.2.188)

**-Notes:** I have three chapters of this written, that's why it's a big chunk update. I like this chapter, too. It's got some nice bits in it, and Jayne gets to let Mal and Inara have it. Who doesn't love that? Heh. And I'd like to thank adverbia and mercuryandrain on LJ for beta-reading this chapter for me.

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Everyone on _Serenity_ had been expecting the inevitable explosion. Mal and Inara still fought; that hadn't changed. But Inara was _there_, on the ship, and that had changed their relationship in a way that could never be undone. The action said more than words ever could. However, neither one was willing to verbally acknowledge the change; they hadn't admitted that they cared and there was still the looming, inescapable question of Inara's career. She had to make what could be the most difficult decision of her life and Mal was giving her no reason to think that giving up her status as a Companion would be worth it in the long run.

"You think he loves 'er?" Kaylee asked River one day as they sat in the engine room. The mechanic was doing a routine maintenance check; River was in charge of the tool box.

"Captain is not very clear-headed," she murmured, furtively examining an old, oil-streaked wrench. "He loves. But he does not want to. He does not know how to tell her; does not know how to love her. They always hurt each other. Difficult change."

"I guess so," Kaylee sighed. She smiled dreamily, laying back so her head was pillowed on her arms. "But ain't it romantic? Both thinkin' they ain't good 'nough for the other, always hurtin' each other, but really burnin' up with passion on the inside."

River snorted. "Romance is impractical and rarely yields the desired results. Captain Daddy wants Inara but he is too proud to tell her. Inara is too proud to give up her livelihood for a man who is not a sure thing." She picked up Kaylee's red bandanna and started cleaning the wrench. "Must come to boiling point. Explosion before either will be willing to concede."

"Well I sure hope it comes soon," Kaylee said. "I love 'em both, but they sure can be stupid, huh?" She sat up and sighed. "Y'think maybe we should try to help them?" That brought an instant smile to her face, and River's head buzzed as Kaylee's thoughts floated like bees and rose petals around her. "Like maybe give the captain some datin' advice, or -

"No!" she said quickly, shaking her head. "Would not do any good. Will come together eventually."

Kaylee scooted closer, eyes wide with something approaching awe. She'd gotten over her fear of River long ago, and after the events on Mr. Universe's moon she'd begun to see the girl through a rose-tinted veil, as some sort of near-magical being. "Y'mean, you can… You _know_ they will?"

River smiled a little. "Too much has changed. Malcolm Reynolds has lost too much in his life to let her go again."

"Aww!" Kaylee beamed. "Ain't that jus' the sweetest thing! I bet he'll make her mad an' then she'll leave all in a huff an' he'll have to go after her all heroic-like."

The warmth of Kaylee's romantic notions wrapped around her like a blanket and River let herself enjoy the feeling as her friend went on at length about the depth of Mal's devotion, how tragic their story had been, and how beautiful it would be when they finally worked things out.

She shelved all of Kaylee's musings as mere fancy. She cared enough for both Mal and Inara to hope they worked things out and she could see their thoughts clearly enough to know that they would eventually overcome all their hurdles. It was the length of time that would take that was really in question; they could be very, _very_ frustrating.

She was laying on the catwalk one afternoon when things finally reached their breaking point. Her body was bombarded with emotions as sharp as spears; she could feel the argument tearing through the two involved as though she, too, shared their battlefield.

"Oh really?" Mal shouted, coming into the hold behind Inara. He carried a bundle of laundry under his arm; a quick mental scan told her that Inara had come to talk to him just as he was taking his clothes out of the dryer. "Thought you were through with this 'Nara, but apparently you can't get enough."

"Can't get enough of _what_, Mal?" she asked coldly, standing straight and tall, facing with him with eyes that burned. "Is it any of your business what I do with my time? I need to take a short… I need a few days to myself. That's all I am telling you."

"How many clients you gonna see?" he sneered. "I figure four days… Well, you should be nearly 'round a whole moon by then."

Inara wanted to cry; she wanted to slap him. River felt the red of wrath bleeding out of her, thick and tinged with heartache. She felt sick from the force of it.

And Mal felt betrayed. He thought she'd come to stay; he thought that had meant she _cared_. Though he knew she had taken a temporary hiatus, he'd assumed that she suddenly wanted to see clients and had decided to hide that fact from him.

They were both yelling; they were both so angry. They had hoped – hoped so hard that it had been a physical pull River could _feel_ - that this time things would be different. And suddenly both felt like they'd lost something more precious than their own hearts.

The psychic wanted to shoot both of them for their sheer idiocy; if they'd only talk, if they weren't so stubborn, so gorram proud…

The flood of bad feeling weakened her already shaky mental barriers and the internal voices were becoming indistinguishable from the external ones. She whimpered a little, trying to push out the anger and hurt. Her body involuntarily curled up, trying to block out the captain and the Companion. She could feel threads snapping slowly in her mind.

Until a wave of simple exasperation hit her like a brisk, cool breeze. She flopped helplessly over onto her back, looking up to see the tall, hulking mass that was _Serenity_'s mercenary.

"Moonbrain… What the hell're you doin' on the ground?" Jayne – who had been cleaning the spare shuttle for most of the morning – had come out to see what the yelling was about. He sneered down at River, though not with any malice. His assessment of her had merely been reinforced by her prone position and vacant stare.

"Anger," she said, sitting up enough to stare down at Mal and Inara. "Hurt. Hurt hurt hurt. One is white, one is black – bishop to E7, move and block, check and mate."

Jayne rolled his eyes and looked down. He listened for a moment to the heated words. "They makin' you go ga-ga again? With their fightin'? You can feel it?"

"Yes," she said, seething. "Yes – feel _everything_. Oozing red out every pore. Not blood. It's not blood…"

"Yeah, uh-huh, _sure_ you're not crazy." He snorted then said to himself, "Still creepifyin' as hell, whatever you are." He leaned over the railing. "Hey!"

Mal and Inara stopped mid-shout to look up at him, fury written on both faces.

"What do you want, Jayne?" Mal asked harshly. "Ain't you supposed to be cleanin' my extra shuttle?"

"Yeah, I was," the merc called back. "'Cept I heard you two yowlin' like alley cats out here an' I came out to tell you to be ruttin' quiet. Can't work with all that noise."

Inara gave him a withering look.

Jayne tapped River with the toe of his boot. "Hey," he said, low enough so the two below couldn't hear him. "Why they fightin'?"

"Inara made her choice," she said, wriggling away a little. "Planned to leave the guild. Asked for a few days to herself. Captain assumed the worst. Feels betrayed. She blames herself for being too rash – now thinks he can never change."

"Wha… Ahh, gorram, they's the two stubbornest fools I ever met." He glared down at Mal and Inara, crossing his arms and frowning. "Y'all gonna stop yellin'?" he asked.

"This is _our_ argument, Jayne," Inara said heatedly, "and – "

"Ain't just yours when you're havin' it loud enough to wake the dead. Now listen." Mal looked shocked for half a second before opening his mouth to speak. "Hey," Jayne barked, stopping the protest before it could escape, "I mean both o' you. Now 'Nara – you wanna go out to wherever the hell it is an' you ain't tellin' Mal why?"

"Yes," she stammered, "but how did you – "

"'Cause I got a ruttin' psychic up here with her eyeballs 'bout to pop out 'cause you two ain't got a lick of sense 'tween you."

"River!" Mal and Inara exchanged worried glances. "Jayne, is she – "

"I said listen!" he roared, clearly exasperated. "Now 'Nara. You ain't seein' clients, right?"

"That's right," she said coldly, fixing her eyes on Mal. "I had no intention of booking any appointments. Though now I see that my decision may have been too hasty."

"Wha… If you're not seein' no men what the hell you wanna do?"

"Her business, Mal," Jayne said, clearly enjoying his chance to control the captain. _"Bet he got all het up over nothin', an' went on assumin', and then 'Nara said somethin' to make him angrier."_ That had been stark and clear, scrawled in mental script across his mind. River shifted her focus to him, trying hard to drown out the rage and injury of the arguing pair. Jayne sneered at them. "Why you askin', anyway? Tryin' to start whorin' yourself?"

"Bi zui," the captain snapped, steadily losing patience. Then he turned to Inara. "I…" Mal cleared his throat. "I may have jumped to a conclusion there."

Inara set her jaw and turned back to look at Mal head on. "Yes, Mal, you did. Maybe if you didn't – "

"Hey. Know what?" Jayne leaned over and pointed a finger towards them. "I'm sick o' this. Y'all been dancin' 'round each other since 'Nara first started rentin' that gorram shuttle." Jayne had no patience for "dancing around". You best go on an' get nekkid already and stop all this screamin' an' fightin' 'fore I get Vera out on both your asses!" He nodded, satisfied. "There ain't much a good bout o' sexin' won't fix."

_"Can't believe the two o' you,"_ River Read. _"Mal, you love 'er an' you're jealous when she sexes up anyone else. 'Nara, you love him, too, but you like bein' a fancified Companion just about as much. An' you're too proud. Both o' you. An' too ruttin' stubborn! Gorram."_

The hold had gone completely silent. Both of them gaped at him, utterly dumbfounded. Jayne just grunted under the scrutiny, annoyed that he'd had to finally say what he imagined everyone on the ship – and that included the both of them – already knew.

He stepped away from the railing and looked down at River with a hard scowl. She'd sat up sometime during his tirade and had her knees up to her chest, her tiny chin resting on the arm she had slung across her knees. She felt much better as Mal and Inara moved elsewhere to continue their argument.

"An' you," Jayne said darkly. "Why I gotta be the one puttin' a stop to this? Don't give a good gorram 'bout your little… feelin' problem." He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet; his hand was nearly large enough to match the circumference of her arm and though better trained he had strength and size heavily in his favor. She yelped a little but didn't fight. "Don't you got nothin' to block out other people's go se?" he asked, leaning closer to peer at her intently.

Intensely annoyed with his close proximity and the audacity he had to physically lift her off the floor, she shook her head.

"Well ruttin' fix it then! Jus'… block 'em out. Stop feelin' it if it bothers you so much."

She stared at him a moment, blinking once. "My mental barriers are porous and – "

"What the hell does _pour us_ mean?"

She scowled and made a vague, wavey gesture with her hand. "Slips in. Feeling crosses over like water into cloth. Soaks in. Can't stop it."

Jayne scratched his head. River could feel how frustrated he was and how ready he was to just leave – or maybe kick her down into the hold. She glared at him and took a step back. Finally he said "Well then obviously it ain't good to have clothes in your head." River barely had time to process the absurdity of that statement before he continued with, "You wanted to block out all them Miranda not-talkin' voices by bein' stone. Well jus' stop bein' a pourin' cloth or whatever the hell your brainpan's made out of an' start bein' rock."

She put her hands on her head and closed her eyes. The feelings were still there, like perfume lingering in the air. But the deep, deep red in Mal and Inara had been diluted to a rosy pink and she could feel passion blooming underneath as they talked in strained, quiet voices somewhere more private. Having only one person to deal with made things much, much easier. Jayne's feelings did not generally affect her; sometimes it was because he simply didn't feel as deeply, but more often than not he simply chose not to deal with emotions. The waves he sent out when something moved him enough to really affect him were powerful - at those times there was nothing she could do to stop the flood of whatever he was feeling.

He let out an impatient sigh and River's eyes snapped open as she realized he had been waiting for some sort of response. "That is sound advice," she said, lowering her arms. "I will employ it immediately."

"Whatever." Jayne was uninterested in what she did; he only wanted to avoid dealing with another of her fits.

Though he obviously hadn't made the suggestion with any sort of design to help her, she felt the tingly mix of appreciation and modesty forming gratitude in the back of her throat. But the ape did not deserve to know that. "Captain Daddy will be mad if you do not finish cleaning the shuttle."

"Well that's why I was 'bout to go finish, wasn't it?" he growled. He was already annoyed that the conversation had gone on as long as it had and she knew any other "crazy moment" she had was liable to make him lash out. Muttering to himself in Chinese, he stalked back to the shuttle.

River closed her eyes. If one person was easy to deal with, then being alone made her feel positively feather-light. Jayne felt warm and prickly off to her right. Kaylee was maternal and confident as she tended to _Serenity_. Simon and Zoë were working on the next meal. Mal and Inara…

She grinned as she let voyeuristic mental fingers reach out to them. Well, they hadn't taken Jayne's advice to "get nekkid" yet, but from the sense of shining, newborn happiness blazing in their brains she could tell they were well on their way.

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Thanks for reading! Feedback's always appreciated! :)


	3. Head Games

**Title:** Evolution  
**Chapter:** Head Games (3/10)  
**Author:** ILB (or an ardent rain)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairing:** very light Simon/Kaylee (over-reaching for the story, though, is Rayne)  
**Set:** post-BDM about a month  
**Written For:** the LJ comm 2by2 Fics  
**Prompts:** 1: Brown; 2: "Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers." -Lady Macbeth; _Macbeth_ (II.2.55-56)

**-Notes:** I think the end of this is really funny. Heh. Kittens. But story! Yeah. This is all that's been written so far, but chapter four is, um... on its way. I have a fic I have to finish by Valentine's Day, but after that (and chapter four of "Emperor's"), this story is getting slapped with chapter four so hard it'll make its head spin. Yeah. Erm... Review, please? Hee. Enjoy the story, everyone!

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"If… If you're sure, mei mei. Because – "

"Simon!" Kaylee swatted him gently on the arm. "River ain't gonna get hurt. She got Mal an' Zoë lookin' after her! 'Sides that, she's got all 'er smarts – an' I bet she can knock a man out 'fore he could even get to her anyway." She smiled proudly at the skinny brunette in front of her. "Ain't that right, River?"

River nodded resolutely; she wanted to live up to the warm surge of Kaylee's pride. "There are twelve ways to kill a human being with – "

"Hey." Mal looked up from the other side of the mule. "Thought I had a rule 'bout the creepifyin' talk, Albatross."

"Captain Daddy should appreciate the skill."

"Oh, make no mistake, River, he does." Zoë smiled warmly at the girl as she took her seat in the mule. "But we all know the captain's got a weak constitution."

"Now Zoë, I am hurt." Mal's eyes sparkled though his face was schooled into smooth indignation.

"Oh, I'm sure y'are," Kaylee broke in, grinning broadly and looking at Mal with mock-commiseration. "Poor, poor cap'n."

River let herself sway a little, smiling at the unguarded moment. It felt so good to belong.

"Hmm, yes, all that aside," Simon said stiffly, pulling River's attention back to him. "Mei mei… Just because you have the training doesn't mean you have to use it."

His concern for her pulsed under her skin, ticking like a clock alarm, making her nervous. With a deep, rattling breath she pulled out of every other consciousness and concentrated only on Simon, weighing her mind down with every memory she could identify positively as hers.

"Simon. I am lucky to have your concern, but I have assessed the situation and the possibility of disaster is relatively low." In an almost ritualized way, she pulled on her goggles. It was not important to her consciously but the consistency of routine - _strap on the back of her head, pulling it as far as it would go, gently covering her eyes_ - helped keep her grounded no matter how turbulent the minds were around her; the thoughts were hazy, but she still knew they were there. "Simon stitches and sews and keeps all our parts working. He does his part; River must do hers."

Her brother started a little, surprised by the clarity with which she spoke. "Y-you help pilot," he argued – albeit futilely. "And – "

"Ge ge." She raised an eyebrow archly. "Kaylee will withhold physical union if you do not allow me to go."

Simon sputtered and his ears turned a rather impressive shade of red. "River, that's… That… You shouldn't…" He sighed, knowing that there was really no use trying to change her mind, especially when his position had such little justification. "Be careful. All right?"

"Hey doc," Mal drawled. "You done givin' your little pep talk? Our take ain't gonna be there for takin' all day." River gave Simon's cheek a little pat; Mal turned to look at her. "Good to go, Albatross?" he asked.

In answer, she clamored into the mule, crawling over an irate Jayne to get in her seat.

"Gorram little monkey," he whined. "Mal, why I gotta sit back here with her? How come you or Zoë can't – "

"'Cause she's drivin'," Mal said smugly, climbing in himself. "An' I am the captain. Gotta enjoy all the privileges once in a while."

"Yeah, privileges," he said with a scowl, "ain't like you _ever_ get those."

"Was that sarcasm I heard, Jayne?" Zoë asked with a smile, cranking up the mule. "Sir, I think you are being accused of abusing your position."

"Now that's just slander," Mal said, acting as though the accusation had truly injured him. "I slave away so my crew can have the best, and this is the thanks I get? Y'all are the most ungrateful bunch o' – "

"Oh, jus' ruttin' shut it, Mal," Jayne groused. "I'm ready to get this over'n done with."

"Huh," Zoë said, sounding vaguely surprised. "Thought you were always up for crime, Jayne."

"Usually am," he retorted. "But that's when we ain't on a planet with one o' the most famous whorehouses in the 'Verse. Been savin' up. Gonna get me a girl an' spend the whole night – "

"Hey." Mal turned to glare at him, gesturing River with a toss of his head. "Little ears, Jayne."

Jayne sneered. "Psychic, Mal. She c'n just pull it outta my head. Hell, if she's anywhere near Inara when she's thinkin' 'bout – "

"You don't wanna finish that, Jayne." Mal glared. "You really don't."

"Puh." Jayne slunk down in his seat, scowling. _"Yeah, get all noble now,"_ he thought viciously. _"Hun dan can't remember that not all o' us are gettin' tended to ev'ry night. Gorram, an' with_ 'Nara _? Ain't fair."_

River cracked her knuckles and surreptitiously glanced at Jayne. Mal fulfilled his paternal duties by attempting to shield her, but she felt it was completely unnecessary. She had a working clinical knowledge of sex and everyone on _Serenity_ had certainly made no attempt to put a hold on the activity on her account. She was curious – almost insatiably so – and she would occasionally listen in when someone was having particularly erotic thoughts. It was inappropriate, she knew, but as long as she avoided anything especially personal she felt very little guilt. Jayne was by far the most crude in his thoughts, though Kaylee nearly rivaled him in frequency.

It surprised her that the merc could find Inara so attractive; she was lovely, River realized, but she was also graceful, intelligent, and refined. Those qualities did not mesh with any of Jayne's.

They were nearly at the site of the job. Mal was growing slightly antsy, going over his plan. River noted all the problems and immediately thought up a few contingencies. Zoë was thinking, as she often was, of Wash – it still hurt to come back from a job and forget, for half a moment, that he wasn't there waiting for her. She had always watched Mal's back, but it was suddenly much more imperative that she kept it whole.

Jayne's mind had lapsed into the realm of the physical and he was imagining what it might be like to be in bed with Inara and a faceless whore – who, if River really cared to dissect the mental picture, looked a little bit like Zoë. It was harder to Read pictures, but she saw enough to know that she didn't want to see any more. She wrinkled her nose at him and scooted as far away as she could, fervently hoping his body didn't start to respond to his mental exertions.

"Well," Mal said, addressing his troops, "we're 'bout to go in. Everybody know their parts?"

Jayne grinned viciously. "You got it, Mal." He patted his gun. "No problem there."

"Understood," River said matter-of-factly.

"Good. And…" He hesitated for a moment before reaching down toward his feet and pulling out an old gun. "Since you don't have none o' your own, want you to use this. Got a bit of a leanin' to the right side, but after one shot I figure you can mathematics it out."

River took the gun in steady hands. Mal felt awkward but proud of himself – he trusted her. Not completely, not yet; but he trusted her, and she made a vow to herself not to violate that trust. She let her fingertips walk over every inch, asking politely for its secrets. Mal did not have the easy relationship Jayne did with guns. To Jayne they were people, they were friends. But Mal had been in war, Mal saw guns as only tools. He was also, however, selectively sentimental, and a gun that had kept poachers away from cattle on Shadow would do just fine keeping those that would do them harm away from their own little herd. "Called?"

"Huh?" Mal looked at her, obviously confused.

Jayne snorted in amusement; he didn't like the idea of River having any sort of weapon while near him, but guns were much more acceptable than knives. It did, however, amuse him greatly that he understood when Mal didn't. "Wants a name, Mal. What's 'er name?"

"Not everyone names their guns, Jayne, an' that one don't – "

"Hester." River nodded, a pleased smile playing at her lips. "Her name is Hester."

"Now you don't gotta name it," Mal chided. "Jayne don't – "

"One point on which we are in agreement. Firearm deserves title. Unless Captain Daddy thinks of one more appropriate…" River patted the gun affectionately. "This is Hester."

"Hester." Mal just shook his head. "I just gave ya a gun named Hester. Huh."

"Will treat her with great respect. I will use her to take down our enemies."

"Um…" Mal scratched his head. "Thanks, Albatross. That's, uh, good to know." He shook his head again. "Now. We ready to go?" Everyone nodded tersely and they continued the ride in silence. Jayne got off a little bit away from the meeting site; he'd be waiting to take the buyers out if there was any trouble. Mal had faith in his merc's abilities, mentally congratulating himself on procuring such an asset. River had her doubts about Jayne, but was willing to admit that she hadn't been witness to enough of his abilities to really judge. Her thoughts were interrupted, though, because the mule was slowing and up ahead they could see the three men they'd be making the deal with.

Zoë parked and Mal jumped out first. He lifted one box of goods out – they'd not been told what they were transporting and, judging by the heavy locks, Mal thought it was best they didn't know – and Zoë quickly followed with the second one.

"Stay," Mal instructed, his voice soft but stern.

River nodded, clamoring down in the seat, Hester clasped firmly in one thin, white-knuckled hand.

_Serenity_'s captain and first-mate walked over the hard, sun-baked ground towards the buyers. "How do?" Mal asked in a tough voice that sounded friendly but promised harsh punishment for those who crossed it. "Heard you were lookin' for some cargo. Think this might be it?" He and Zoë set the boxes down on the ground.

The largest of the men grunted. "You Reynolds?"

Mal smiled. "Guilty."

"They say you're a truthsome guy. Say you don't go back on a deal once it's made."

Mal was about to humbly agree to all such claims, but another of the men stepped forward. He was cleaner than the others, in nicer clothes, and probably the one who'd actually bought the cargo. "Looks like a ruttin' Browncoat to me."

Mal's jaw tightened and Zoë gave him a quick warning cough. "Don't see how that matters _now_," he said. "I'm the captain of a simple transport, an' right now I'd like to get paid for what I've been transportin'."

The man who'd spoken first gave a nod, and the third man tossed a small sack of money to Mal.

"Albatross!" Mal called. "Catch." He threw the little bag of money over towards the mule. River stood quickly and caught it in one outstretched hand.

"Obtained, Captain!" she called.

Mal nodded and he turned back to face the three men in front of them.

The one who appeared to be the leader stared intently at the girl. "Who's that?" They were far enough away that if River spoke quietly he couldn't hear her but close enough that he could make out her features, the soft lines of her dress as brown as deer-skin, hints of her lithe, smooth body as the wind gently moved the fabric around her.

Her Captain Daddy did not appreciate the perusal. "Our pilot," Mal told him, his tone closing the book on that line of inquiry. "None o' your concern, though. S'why don't we get back to our little exchange?"

River sank down in the seat, her skin oily and cold from the man's eager eyes. Mal and Zoë would close the deal soon, she was sure. The men were, if a little unscrupulous, at least willing to hold to the set terms. They'd also heard rumors that Mal's crew had something to do with the Miranda broadwave, and anyone who could cause that much commotion was not someone likely to lie down and take a double-crossing.

The one who spoke the most was a hired thug. He and his brother – the one who'd thrown the money – were working for the third man, a young land-owner on that moon who dealt in illegal merchandise and, if the scraps of thought she'd been able to catch had meant what she'd gleaned from them, human trafficking. River did not care much for him.

_"Hey."_

The comm set crackled unexpectedly and River started a little at the sound of Jayne's voice. She held the device out a little and sniffed it warily.

_"Hey."_ He sounded slightly more impatient.

"I receive your message loud and clear, man-called-Jayne."

She could practically hear him rolling his eyes. _"Well ain't that jus' grand? Seen Mal throw you some coin. Deal goin' down all right?"_

"As well as expected, I believe." She carefully opened her mind, listening for any thoughts of betrayal, but it was exactly as she'd Read previously. "The men only want whatever is in those boxes."

_"Great. Real great. Look, what's goin' on? I need to shoot anybody?"_

"I do not think – " River stopped short as a wave of an unfamiliar feeling hit her like a tidal wave. The young man who'd set up the deal was thinking. He'd seen her; he'd _liked_ what he'd seen of her. The man saw women as nothing more than property and he considered her an exceptional specimen. It caught her off guard and her mental walls shattered.

_'Little young to be a pilot,'_ the man thought as Mal and the thugs continued negotiations. _'Wonder if that's the only reason Reynolds keeps her around.'_ His thoughts turned dark and thick and something turned over in River's stomach. He liked girls who were young and inexperienced; he liked to break them. Nothing made him prouder than hearing them scream.

River gagged, the taste of acid rising up her throat. She sank down onto the mule's hard metal floor, curling up into the tightest ball she could. Involuntarily she whimpered.

_"Hey!"_ It was Jayne again; it was likely he'd been trying to get her attention. _"What the hell's wrong with you? You're s'posed to be the lookout so's we know when to - "_

"It hurts," she said, her voice breaking. The man, bored of the talk, had moved on to picturing himself with her. He saw her on the floor of his bedroom, crying, her voice pleading and high. And he was above her and he was holding down her arms.

River bit into her arm and screamed.

_"Crazy…"_ Jayne sounded vaguely worried. _"Crazy, are you… you 'bout to go killer-woman on us again? What the hell's going on?"_

"Wants to…" She closed her eyes, bricking up her mind as best she could. The effort it took was tremendous and her whole body shook. "He… Likes… to hurt." He was providing his own sordid narration, his mental voice amused, and the images he projected had gotten more graphic. "Not strong enough. Walls crumbling down. Can see what he wants to do. Wants to hurt her. Make her scream."

She had been doing so well. The psychic pressures had been lessened exponentially since Miranda – even more after she'd taken Jayne's – rather surprisingly perceptive – advice of keeping her mind hardened and impenetrable. _Well jus' stop bein' a pourin' cloth or whatever the hell your brainpan's made out of an' start bein' rock."_ He had no idea just how helpful that simple piece of advice, regardless of his motives for giving it, had been.

The comm crackled again. _"Wait, you mean one o' them down there? Wantin' to do all that… To you? He wants t'hurt you? Like… ?"_ He paused a moment as River panted, her arm shaking as she tried to get a good grip on Hester. She bit out an affirmative. _"You seein' it in his head? Like pi'tures an' all that?"_

She whimpered as she was again bombarded and Jayne correctly interpreted that as a "yes".

_"Gorrammit you stupid… Moonbrain, jus' shoot him!"_

"C-can't." Her mind was going in circles and she couldn't break out of the vicious fantasy. "Want to… See him suffer. For hurting others. For wanting to hurt." She could hardly speak. "Captain Daddy… needs deal." The men were speaking again; there was insinuation. The pilot… More money if Mal would only let him have a nice talk with the pilot. River heaved a little. The others, though, the hired thugs, wanted no trouble. They knew the kind of man he was; they would not stop him but they would not facilitate. She knew that she could be wrong; it was so hard to Read anything but those images she was in. "They… do not intend to break it."

Jayne's silence was like granite. _"Tell me when we got the money. An' which hun dan it was."_

River couldn't Read him at such a distance, but the determination in his voice was unmistakable. She rose up and the moment another larger bag of money changed hands she said, "Closest to you."

A shot rang out and the man crumpled to a dead heap, a bullet lodged in his brain. His mind had still been opened to hers.

River screamed.

"What the hell's that?" the tall man asked, jumping back in shock. "Your man?"

"You got your cargo," Mal said, forcing himself not to look towards Jayne. "We got our money. Why would we have cause to shoot at you? Could be that was jus' a ruttin' terrible shot, meant for one o' us!" It was obvious that neither man completely trusted him, but he did have a point.

The tall man grunted. "Let's get out o' here," he said to his partner, sparing the dead man half a glance.

Then they were gone, and the next instant Mal and Zoë came running back towards the mule. "What the hell does Jayne think he's doin'?" Mal hissed furiously, jumping in right behind Zoë. "We could o' used that slimy set o' deep pockets for more jobs!" He noticed River as they shot off, still curled up, covered in sweat, a pool of what looked like vomit beside her. "Albatross… You okay? What – "

"Mal!" Jayne shouted, waving his arms and running towards them as fast as he could. Zoë slowed down enough to let him climb in and then they were headed to _Serenity_ at full speed.

"You wanna tell me what you were thinkin' with that go se you jus' pulled, Jayne? That man was the son o' this moon's man with the biggest pockets an' - "

"Jus' shut up f'r a ruttin' second." The merc scrambled into his seat, putting his guns and ammo on the unoccupied one beside him. "Ain't my fault, Mal. Y'told me to shoot if'n we had somethin' bad goin' down. An' crazy here good as said the hun dan was mind rapin' her."

Even Zoë took in a breath of surprise. "What?"

"What she said. We was on the comm, an' I was waitin' for one o' them to try somethin', when she goes all quiet. Then she starts whimperin', goin' on about how he was hurtin' her. How much he liked hurtin'. I told her to shoot 'im, but she couldn't. So she told me which one it was an' soon as the deal was done I put a bullet through him."

"That ruttin' son of a whore." Mal cursed under his breath, still angry at Jayne but knowing there was a good chance he would have done the same thing. "Hun dan deserved it. Or worse. I wish – "

"Don't matter," Jayne spat. "If you care s'much then just get 'er to her brother!"

Mal's look hardened but he didn't say anything; he knew Jayne was right.

Zoë drove as fast as she could. As soon as they pulled into _Serenity_ Mal jumped out and scooped River out of the mule. She struggled to her feet, Mal's arm around her.

"Oh, you're back," Simon said, looking at the cloth in his hand. "Did everything – " He looked up and saw River. "What happened? What's wrong? River… River, are you all right?"

"One o' the guys we were dealin' with weren't a particularly nice one," the captain explained. "He, uh… was thinkin' on River – an' she saw it. He didn't count on her bein' a Reader." Simon looked positively murderous as he held River. "Thugs he was workin' with prob'ly scared of us now, though, but I'm thinkin' we – "

The doctor was unconcerned with anything that did not involve his sister. "Stop. What happened to him?"

"Jayne shot him."

Simon looked to the merc. "Thank you, Jayne," he said, swallowing, hating the thought of death but unable to feel remorse over the killing. "I…" Jayne had his eyes closed and his face scrunched up, as though he were in deep, painful thought. "Wh-what's wrong with you?"

Jayne grunted and shifted his weight. "'M thinkin' about kittens."

Mal, Simon and Zoë stared at him, dumbfounded. River had stopped crying and was clinging to one of her brother's arms. Mal cleared his throat. "Uh… what?"

"_Kittens_," he reiterated. "They're nice an' girls like 'em right? 'Cause if gettin' mind-fucked did that to 'er, I fig're somethin' nice'll put her back to sorts."

"Oh, that…" Simon cleared this throat. River was calm and she looked up at him with her brown, baleful eyes. His voice was quiet. "That makes sense."

Mal sent the doctor a look of inquiry; Simon nodded. River would be fine. "So," he said, "looks like everything'll be fine an' dandy. Doc, why don't you take her to the infirmary just to check 'er over. An' Jayne can go an' fetch one o' these cups o' tea she's always drinkin' on." Simon nodded and started to lead River away. Jayne had started to walk off, as well. "An' Jayne," Mal called, stopping him.

"What?" the merc asked gruffly.

"Don't you stop thinkin' 'bout them kittens."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Feedback's always appreciated! :)

Also! New "Suitor"-verse poll in my profile. You will vote, yes? I'd really appreciate it!


	4. Hostage

**Title:** Evolution  
**Chapter:** Hostage (4/10)  
**Author:** ILB (or an ardent rain)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairing:** none (over-reaching for the story, though, is Rayne)  
**Set:** post-BDM about a month  
**Written For:** the LJ comm 2by2 Fics  
**Prompts:** 1: Gray; 2: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." -Cassius; _Julius Caesar_ (I.2.141-142)

**-Notes:** Newest chapter. Enjoy, everyone! And a huge, enormous thanks to everyone who reviewed any of the previous three; you guys are so made of awesome it must hurt.

* * *

Ever since Jayne had proven his - albeit shaky - loyalty to all of _Serenity_'s family by shooting the man who'd mentally assaulted River, Mal had begun assigning the merc and the genius to work as a team while out on jobs.

Neither one was pleased with the new arrangement; in fact, Jayne had protested so fiercely during Mal's first attempt at the partnership that River had lost her patience and threatened to kill him with her brain if he did not cooperate. That only incensed him further and it had taken the promise of a whole night's leave and an extra percent from the next job to keep the merc amenable to the captain's plan. No one was quite sure why, after Jayne had saved River, that he seemed so averse to being around her; they all just put it down to embarrassment.

Both the merc and the Reader put aside their mutual dislike and hostility while on a job, but as soon as the crime had been completed they were at each others' throats like wild dogs. Simon, the one person everyone had been sure would fight Mal's decision, had been surprisingly blasé about it. The fighting, he'd said, was better. The big man quarreling with the girl was better than him resenting her presence, and as long as the looming threat of death-by-brain stayed over him, Simon was sure the merc wouldn't do anything too untoward.

The latest caper Mal'd found for them was a bank job. A certain wealthy inhabitant had been extorting money from his tenants, and they'd hired the crew to steal the money they'd most recently paid and redistribute it – keeping, off course, a reasonable percentage for themselves.

Mal and Zoë would be the actual perpetrators; River had been excited of the prospect of picking the high-tech lock, but after another squabble with Jayne she'd been assigned to guard duty with the very man she'd fought with.

"Move."

Jayne glared down at the little hand pushing hard against his arm. "No." He shoved the girl away from him. "You move."

"The girl is not the one taking up more than her fair share of space," River seethed, stubbornly scooting closer. The space was only just big enough for the two to sit without touching, but after being there for an hour it was getting increasingly difficult not to fuss and fidget. "Back to your side."

"The whole ruttin' thing's my side! There ain't 'nough room for both o' us an' since I'm the biggest, I get the most space."

"No, space belongs to _both_!"

"You ain't bigger'n 'bout half a person anyway, so why d'you – " She poked him, hard. "Ow! Gorrammit, moonbrain, you – "

"Quiet!" She glared at him fiercely in the dim light. "Unnecessary volume will alert them to our presence. Captain Daddy requires that we remain here undetected." She wiggled a little, shifting her focus back to the task at hand, resolving not to allow Jayne's childish antics to perturb her any longer.

He grunted. "Won't do no good," he told her, referring to her intent study of the room below the small cavity they'd hidden in. "You can't see 'em anyway."

"When one is a mind reader, eyes are not a necessity." She growled a little, irritated that she was being forced to spend so much time with him in such close quarters. If only she hadn't risen to his bait – if only he wasn't so easy to irritate. If they hadn't fought, she would be happily down there with the captain and Zoë, picking the lock in no doubt half the time. "Must focus. Do not distract me with your petty quibbling."

Jayne clenched his teeth, biting back a few choice words. _'Gorram little witch,'_ he thought angrily. _'Tellin' me what to do, actin' like she's in charge. Hate takin' orders from a kid.'_

"Stop," River commanded harshly. "Cannot hear when you fill the air with chatter. Do not think. For you that will not be taxing. And," she added caustically, "I am not a _child_. She is a grown woman."

Jayne scoffed in cruel amusement. "You ain't got tits; you ain't a woman."

River hissed and tightly gripped the handle of her gun. "Silence. _Now_."

Whether he decided it would be wiser to focus on the mission or he simply got tired of hearing her ask for quiet, Jayne did obey.

Their task was certainly tedious. All they had to do was make sure the guards didn't come back to check on the vault, and to either warn Mal and Zoë or shoot them if they did. Things had progressed surprisingly well and so far nothing had been amiss. As far as Mal's plans went, that was unusual, and River stayed on full alert. Jayne, on the other hand, could think no reason why things should go wrong and was fully prepared to do some quick shooting should the occasion arise. While River was focused intently on her task, he had let his train of thought wander agreeably down other tracks.

She tried not to listen. It certainly wasn't as if she found his mental ramblings _interesting_, and she put her eavesdropping down to nothing more than boredom.

_'Wonder if Ma got my letter yet,'_ he thought, the pondering tinged with anxiety. He'd sent his mother a long letter a few weeks prior, the longest letter he'd ever written. Though he'd recovered from Miranda with no indelible scars, he'd needed some way to cope. He'd left almost all of the details out, but just writing the letter at all, with only the subconscious intent of healing, had been a cathartic experience. He'd gone on and on for pages, talking about Mal and Inara, how Kaylee had finally caught Simon, the holes where Wash and Book had belonged – he'd even briefly mentioned her, the new pilot and the girl about whom his feelings had never settled.

River bit her lip and looked down towards her feet. Her eyes had long since adjusted to the light, but it was still difficult to make things out. The large vent they were in was a cold, unwelcoming gray and she rubbed absently at a spot of dirt near the toe of her right boot. She hadn't meant to see so much of Jayne, but he'd been thinking about writing his letter and with her mind still open to his the flood of feeling couldn't be stopped.

Hesitantly, she glanced over. He looked bored, no outward expression of what had been in his thoughts. She shook her head, a little perturbed by the discontinuity but sane enough not to let it upset her unduly.

The rustling of her unbound hair made Jayne look over.

_'What's her deal?'_ he thought absently, taking momentary inventory of her condition before turning back to stare at the wall. _'She's always doin' somethin' weird. Gorram moonbrain. Maybe if'n she didn't have s'much o' that tangly rat's nest on 'er head she wouldn't be havin' such trouble with it.'_

River rolled her eyes at the fact he thought it was her hair that was giving her trouble.

_'Can't believe we got to sit here. Can't believe Mal made me do it with her. Ain't like we're even doin' anything! Hun dan. He better get done with this heist soon or I'm gonna go break open that safe myself. Gorram.'_ He sighed a little, but River decided not to chastise him for it. She'd really only insisted on quiet because he'd been annoying her; the guards had left to go get a quick lunch and probably wouldn't be back for another half an hour or so.

_'Wonder how the moonbrain's doin'.'_ He surreptitiously looked over. _'Damn, she don't looked bored at all. Prob'ly 'cause she got a genius sort o' brain to keep her busy. Wonder if geniuses ever get bored. Wonder if they ever stop thinkin'. Maybe that's how she does it – all 'er thoughts get that moony brain o' hers all powered up an' that's how she kills folks. Well she ain't ever gonna kill me, no matter how big her brain is. I ain't scared o' her. Huh, bet she knows it, too. Thinkin' she's so tough just 'cause she can take out o' room full o' Reavers. Well, a'right, that does count f'r somethin' I guess. An' she can read minds, which is downright creepifyin' if'n you ask me. Gettin' in a man's head just ain't right.'_ Suddenly he stiffened and slowly, without turning his head, his gaze moved to her. With some trepidation he thought, _'What if that gorram little Reader's lookin' into my head right now?'_

River couldn't help herself; she giggled.

Jayne's head snapped around and his face contorted into a dark, angry scowl. "You _were_ listenin'," he barked. "I knew it! Gorrammit, you skinny little, mind-readin' , creepifyin' moonbrain – don't look in my head!"

"Not much to look at," she retorted. "Confined space and you are concentrating on your musings. Cannot help but hear any wayward thoughts."

"Well you best start helpin' it. I got stuff in my head ain't nobody but me got business knowin' an' I ain't gonna be responsible for what I have to do to you if you get at somethin' you're not s'posed to."

River rolled her eyes again. "I do not dig, man-called-Jayne. Pick up just on what you are thinking – can block out the rest."

"That don't make it okay."

"Asked you to stop thinking. All you had to do was obey."

"Puh." Jayne looked away from her, tapping absently on his knee. They say in silence for another ten minutes or so, before Jayne – who was getting antsier by the minute – asked "We ever gonna get some action or we goin' t'be sittin' here waitin' on Mal all day?"

She quickly assessed their situation; then she sighed. "For once Captain Daddy's plan is running smoothly. We will have no trouble; they will successfully perpetrate the heist and then we will be released from duty."

"Fine." Jayne sighed. "Jus' great."

River, who found her sentiments much aligned with his, decided it wouldn't be amiss to offer some sort of trust. "Could play a game until – "

"A game?" Jayne snorted, cutting her off. "Like what, 'I Spy'? Oh, all right moonbrain, well I spy somethin' gray. Oh wait. That's everything."

"Was just attempting to alleviate boredom. Man-called-Jayne does not have to meet such attempts with disdain. We are stuck together," she said crossly, poking his arm. "Would be best if we tried to get along."

"Whatever. Gorram moonbrain." Jayne huffed impatiently, leaning against the wall of their hiding space and extending his legs over onto her side.

River frowned and pinched his calf. "Will not fight with you simply because you are bored."

He glowered for a moment before rolling his eyes and moving his legs marginally closer to his body. "Gorram Mal," he muttered, "always gettin' me into troublesome spots. Man ain't got a lick o' sense sometimes."

"If you have such problems with captain's sensibilities, why are you under his employ?"

"Hell, was him that hired me!"

River scowled. "And we are all still wondering why."

"Hey," he said sharply, "you ain't got no right to be sayin' nothin'. How'd you get on the ship, huh? Mal just opened a ruttin' box."

She sniffed haughtily. "And unlike you, no one would change that if they could."

"Huh." Not even Jayne would dream of blaming her for Wash's death, but he was not above hitting her where he knew it would hurt. "Real easy to say that when you know there ain't no way to change things."

Though she wanted to be angry, his words had hurt more than she'd ever let him know; she'd Read the implications. "Stupid ape," she said, trying to sound annoyed instead of injured.

"Oh my…" He shook his head, sure that the hurt he'd heard had been imagined. He sneered a little. "Crazy, you ain't upset, are you?" He waited for an answer, but she remained quiet. He poked her. "Hey. C'mon. What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

Jayne frowned, sensing that maybe she wasn't simply being petulant. "Gorrammit girl, tha's a lie." As he was correct, she did not see a reason to respond. He watched her for another few seconds before rolling his eyes. "Look, crazy, I didn't mean to upset you. No one would toss ya, not even if they could. Okay?"

"Leave me alone. Want none of your – "

"Aww, shut up. 'M tryin' to make you feel better."

"Well you fail." His exasperation permeated the air all around them. "It is not the girl's fault she feels everything! Cannot just make the feelings go away."

"Oh… Tha's right, you ain't got that… that thing in your head." Wanting to quickly get her back to sorts, Jayne cleared his throat. He didn't, River noticed with little surprise, feel much guilt about upsetting her. "Y'want me to sing?"

She looked over at him skeptically. "Sing? What will singing accomplish?"

"It'll make you feel better."

"There is no evidence for that."

"Oh really?" He looked at her smugly. "When I was young, singin' would always make the little ones feel better – funny songs make 'em laugh, some sort o' soft, lullaby song would calm 'em down."

River gave him a blank stare of disbelief. "You sang to children."

"Uh, _yeah_, crazy, that's what I jus' said, ain't it? Sometimes played guitar with it, too."

"Oh." His words tasted of truth; River was a little surprised. Singing certainly wasn't something she could have ever expected of Jayne. It made her very, very curious. "No singing is required. But you have caused interest to increase."

"Interest? What the hell d'you mean by that?"

"Man-called-Jayne used soothing vocal activities to calm the young ones. Which young ones?"

"Hey." He scowled at her, looking rather menacing. "I jus' told you there's stuff in my head ain't no one but me gonna know about it. I ain't talkin' 'bout that. 'Specially not with you."

River put her chin on her knees and stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Then I shall sob inconsolably."

"I ain't got a problem with jus' lettin' you cry 'til you drown, you moonbrain."

"Man-called-Jayne is unkind. Has cemented the girl's bad opinion of him."

Jayne sighed, looking out again towards the room they were supposed to be watching. Still, nothing had changed. "You really think I give a good gorram what you think o' me? Hell, what anybody thinks o' me?"

"Your behavior would indicate that you do not."

"Tha's right." He nodded definitively, crossing his arms over his chest.

River's eyes narrowed at him. "You care what your mother thinks."

Jayne started. "Hey, you in my head again? 'Cause – "

"No! Not in your head. Was simple to deduce as you – quite literally, man-called-Jayne – are the largest mother's boy the girl has ever met."

He grunted. He knew that she'd meant to insult him, but the bond he had with his mother was something he'd never be ashamed of. "Y'know, callin' yourself girl sure don't do nothin' fer tryin' to convince folks you're a woman."

River just 'hmm'ed lightly, not willing to pursue the subject all the way to another argument.

They sat there for some time, neither speaking. River still hadn't sensed anything from the guards and it wouldn't be much longer until the heist – the completely successful heist – would be done.

Jayne growled. "Ain't they done yet?" he muttered rhetorically. "I'm tired o' sittin' here. Mal better hurry the hell up."

"Again," River said, redirecting his attention onto her. "If you have such a problem with him, why do you continue to work for him?"

Jayne snorted, deliberating on whether or not to answer her. He decided it would just be easier to give the girl a response. "Mal's a self-righteous hun dan most o' the time, but he ain't a _bad_ guy. An' I worked with plenty o' real bad guys 'fore I found _Serenity_. Even though none o' y'all but Kaylee like me, y'all are used to me. Don't gotta worry 'bout gettin' shot or robbed – an' I even got my own bunk." He grinned. "Tha's worth all o' Mal's go se."

"You offer me insight." She cocked her head, surveying him as best she could in the dim light. His face was in dark shadow, his normally blue eyes a steely sort of gray. "I still do not like you much, man-called-Jayne. But you are not as bad as you are painted."

He laughed harshly. "Hell, girl, think whatever you want. An' I don't like you much, neither. I ain't a good man, that's for damn sure. But… Yeah, I guess I'm okay."

"You are indeed _okay_." She thought for a moment, eager to preserve an atmosphere devoid of the usual hostile tension. "Are you happy? No higher aspirations? A life of crime is all you desire?"

Jayne shrugged. "What I'm suited for. You're soundin' like my Momma there, moonbrain – she's always wantin' me to come home, or do somethin' all worthwhile-like. The ol' lady believes in destiny, an' it hurts 'er to think that maybe this is all I'm good for. Me? All that fate's just a load o' nothin'. Got nobody but myself to blame for where I am – but then I'm the one takin' the credit when I do well, too."

River pulled her legs closer to her chest, tightening up further. "Yes. Would be easier to believe that some greater force leads us, that all that has happened has been nothing more than moves on cosmic chessboard…" She smiled, almost shyly. "But it has been said that God does not play dice with the universe."

"Well 'course he don't, crazy-girl. Tha's gamblin' an' I reckon no sort o' God approves o' gamblin'." He paused for a moment, starting intently at her. "An' hey, thought you didn't believe in none o' that religious stuff anyways."

River just shrugged with a little giggle.

Mal finally called them on the comm., with the happy news that the heist had gone down without a hitch. He and Zoë were waiting outside with the mule. Gratefully, Jayne and River crawled out of the big vent and went to meet them.

With the addition of what they'd taken, however, there was not much room in the back of the mule.

"Move!"

"Uh-uh, girl, this here's my side." He pushed her back over.

River huffed and wriggled back towards him, poking his leg. "Man-called-Jayne is too big. Colossal! Mammoth! Will cut off the extra bulk – then problem will be solved."

"Hey, you jus' keep all cuttin' to yourself, moonbrain." He dug his fingers into her ribs, trying to keep her away.

River squawked with laughter, prying his hand away from her side. "No tickling!" He kept up the attack; she laughed harder. "Subversive tactics! Clear violation of… of rules." She braced her foot on his thigh, pushing away.

"Don't see no rules. Now stay off o' my side an' I won't have to resort to none o' these _subversive tactics._"

Mal growled from the front seat. "It's 'bout to rain," he said irritably, gesturing with one hand up to the iron-gray sky. "An' if I have to pull this mule over to shoot one o' y'all I'm givin' the both o' you septic duty for a month."

For maybe a minute and a half Jayne and River were silent, but as soon as a bump caused them to shift, they were at it again.

Mal sighed, feeling exasperated.

Zoë just shook her head and smiled to herself. "Kids."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Feedback's always appreciated! :)

Also! New "Suitor"-verse poll in my profile. You will vote, yes? I'd really appreciate it!


	5. A Full Revolution

**Title:** Evolution  
**Chapter:** A Full Revolution (5/10)  
**Author:** ILB (or an ardent rain)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairing:** none (over-reaching for the story, though, is Rayne)  
**Set:** post-BDM about a month  
**Written For:** the LJ comm 2by2 Fics  
**Prompts:** 1: Orange; 2: "By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; it yearns me not if men my garments wear; such outward things dwell not in my desires: but if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive." -King/Henry V; _Henry V_ (IV.3.25-30)

**-Notes:** Whoops! I've had this chapter done, but I totally forgot to post it here! Sorry for the wait (it was on LJ first) - though somehow I doubt anyone was waiting. Heh. Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews to chapter 4. They make me so happy! I hope everyone enjoys this!

* * *

"We there yet?"

River stuck her tongue out in response to Jayne's rather stupid question, not looking away from the expanse of space in front of her.

Jayne leaned closer, one big hand on the back of her seat. He surveyed the console intently, his brow wrinkling as he tried to make sense of it all. River shot him a glare out of the corner of her eye, not at all appreciative of his sudden proximity. The faint smell of his woody soap still clung to him from his shower and his cheek was unusually smooth from the shave that had accompanied it.

She sighed as he asked again, "We there yet?" His hand radiated warmth and his fingertips nearly touched her shoulder. The man was enormous, with arms the size of small trees. River tried to pretend it wasn't there.

"Yes, man-called-Jayne," she answered flatly. "We are there."

He frowned and leaned a little closer; involuntarily, she twitched. "We's still in the Black, ni zi."

"Then _why_ did you ask?"

He straightened up; River rolled her shoulders a little, much more comfortable once he wasn't so close. He shot her a quick glance of annoyance and said "What I meant was are we gonna be gettin' there any time soon?"

"If that is what you meant, that is what you should have said." Jayne glowered at her; River just stuck her tongue out at him again. "We will arrive in reasonable time – approximately forty minutes and twenty-two seconds."

"Aww, forty minutes? For real?" He shook his head in disgust. "Then I'm goin' back to my bunk."

River sighed as he walked out of the bridge. The man was probably one of the most aggravating creatures in the entire Verse; but if he wasn't around to get in her way, then she certainly wasn't going to complain.

_Serenity_ was headed for one of the big stations – for shopping, resupply and mail pick-up. They'd had a run of surprisingly successful jobs, nearly all planned by their resident genius and then orchestrated and carried out down to the letter by a proud captain daddy. That meant a sudden increase in coin, and they were all feeling the new, welcome weight in their pockets.

River had to stay at the docking station with the ship and, in their typical overprotective fashion, most of the others chose to stay there with her. Only Jayne and Inara went on ahead. She felt so grown-up, telling the men what to do, exactly how to treat _Serenity_. Kaylee and Captain Daddy trusted her. They had faith in her to do what was right by their girl – and she did. She was re-assembling, learning what to do, what to say, how to interact with the others without seeming crazy. Which she was, of course – but it wouldn't do to broadcast that fact openly around other people.

"An' here's your ticket," one of the technicians said, wiping an oily hand on the thigh of his coveralls. He handed her a broad, flat tracking chip. "Once you're ready to get back t'your boat, jus' put this in the little computer over there an' one o' us'll help get you to it."

"Thank you," River said primly, blinking wide eyes at the young, smiling man.

"Yeah, uh... No problem, miss."

Mal smirked as the technician went back to work. "Looks like you got an admirer, Albatross," the captain said teasingly. He chuckled to himself as they all strolled down the passageway to the main station.

"An admirer? What do you mean?"

"He liked you, River," Simon said, sounding only a little proud. "He was… he was being shy and overly helpful. He was all short of flirting."

"Ain't that sweet, Riv?" Kaylee gushed. "An' he was cute, too!" She had a spring in her step, clearly excited by the man's interest in the girl. "Maybe when we get back to the ship, he'll ask ya for a date!"

River thought that over for a moment, but before she could respond, Mal had spotted Jayne.

"Jayne!" he called. "That you?"

"Well yeah it's me, Mal," the big gun-hand yelled back, raising one hand to beckon the crew over. He was standing by the mail depot. "Waitin' to get mail," he told the captain, as the crew assembled around him.

The man behind the counter cleared his throat. "You waitin' on a package for Cobb?" he asked.

"A'right!" Jayne said excitedly, pushing through the others to get up to the counter. He took the box from the man and walked off to take a seat on a low bench off to the side. "Shiny," he said to himself, his face stretched agreeably into a boyish smile.

The others were chattering or getting their own bits of mail; surreptitiously, River edged closer to Jayne. She was curious – letters from the Cobb matriarch were always good learning experiences. With an exclamation of joy, he pulled out a big, wooly orange blanket. He held it up, surveying it with proud eyes. River itched to touch it, to feel the warmth of a mother's love woven into it like another thread.

He put the blanket down, the fabric clutched in one large, meaty fist. He took out the letter that accompanied it, cleared his throat and began to read.

"My dear son, I thank you very much for your last letter. We were all very pleased to rec… receive it. Mattie was very cheered when we sat down to read it. I think it worked almost as well as the medicine."

They were all only half listening to Jayne; for whatever reason, he could never just read quietly to himself – it was custom for him to read all the contents out loud, where everyone could hear them. River, interested despite herself, was paying avid attention.

"The length of your letter made me very happy. Your letters are us-u-ally short so I was surprised that you had filled up so many pages. I hope you are doing better after the very traum… atic exper-i-ence you mentioned in your letter. It sounds like your crew went through a very rough time and I hope you will all be all right. It made me very sad to hear that Shepherd Book was killed. I know he was your only friend on the boat and it must be very difficult for you without him. I am also very sorry to hear that the pilot Mr. Washburne did not make it. Please be kind to his widow – it is very difficult to lose your husband, I know." Jayne cleared his throat, remembering – River Read – the death of his father.

By that time, the rest of the crew's attention had shifted over to Jayne. He was reading loudly, it was true, though River assumed that was unintentional. Zoë was tightening up, trying to batten down the emotional response rising at the mention of her deceased husband.

"She is no doubt going through hard times. An' I know that…" he paused briefly, readjusting the paper in his hands. "I know that she does not re-spect you now, but if you show her that you are worthy of that respect, I am sure her attitude will change." Mal and Zoë exchanged a quick look; River couldn't hear what they were thinking. "After all, it sounds like this crew is all some of you have; you all need to learn to trust and rely on each other. An' don't cause too much trouble for your captain. I have doubts that he is quite as self-righteous as you have described." At that statement, Mal spiked a fierce, indignant maroon. "At least pretend to listen to him; I think it will make things easier for you."

Jayne nodded to himself as he thought about his mother's advice. And the others, growing more interested with every sentence, moved even closer.

"I also think you should be nicer to the mechanic. She sounds like a very sweet girl and I am sure that you tease her. That is not nice. An' I know how much you care for your sisters, so you should treat Ms. Frye with just as much respect. If she has taken up with that Core doctor then I say good for her; even though you do not seem to like him much, a doctor is very useful and if he is from the Core then he is probably still getting used to the way of life out here. Cut him some slack. However, if he calls you an ape again, then I give you permission to hit him because you are cer-tainly no ape. Anyway, he sounds much better than the Ms. Serra you have written about. I do not care if she is the most beau-ti-ful woman you know, she should not treat you like that. From what you have said, it sounds like she thinks she is better than you and does not mind letting you know. There is no reason for such dis… dis-dain, and you can tell her I said so."

Inara's face burned red with shame and anger and the rest of the crew kept their eyes away from her.

"I wish you had written more about the doctor's sister," Jayne continued. "You said that she was the one who brought down the trouble on your crew, but you said that you were glad to save her. I imagine she has had a hard life and I am curious about her story. Tell her if she ever needs a hat or blanket, I will be happy to make her one. I love you very much son, and I want to thank you again for all the money you have sent us. It helps a lot and we all want you to know how much it means. You are a very good boy, Jayne. Take care… your mother."

Everyone else watched with bated breath as he carefully folded the letter and stuck it in the pocket of his cargo pants. He was smiling. River stood up as he did, her shrewd eyes darting back and forth between Jayne and the rest of the crew. "Your mother writes kind letters," she said, her voice low. "She loves you. And she is very perceptive."

Jayne tilted his head up, smiling even more broadly with pride. He had not yet fallen from the high that came with the letter. "Tha's right, crazy. My Ma's just about the nicest, smartest lady you could ever meet."

She couldn't help but stare at his new blanket with envy; did the Cobb matriarch really mean the offer she'd made? "And her knitting skills are paramount."

"Huh?"

"Your new warmth is exceptional. And very orange." She scuttled from behind him and leaned close, one thin hand ghosting over the material. "The girl wishes she had someone to sew love for her."

"This ain't sewin', girl, it's knittin'." He looked down at her with a petulant scowl, raising his big fist up so she couldn't reach his new treasure. "An' don't get no ideas about thievin' cause this one's mine."

"Would never take it, man-called-Jayne."

"Well good." He seemed to soften some and after staring at her a moment he cleared his throat. "Y'know… My Ma feels sorry for you, on account o' you bein' small an' crazy an'all. And I sure as hell didn't ask her to! But, uh… she says that if'n you want 'er to, she could… make you your own blanket 'r somethin'."

River glowed inwardly, feeling happy and knowing that it was a feeling all her own – she could even pinpoint the external cause. "That would be very nice," she said, her voice somber. "I will save my allowance and – "

"No." Jayne shook his head, the weight of his word as heavy as stone. "No, there ain't no way she's gonna take none o' your money."

"Insist. If she does the girl a service, then – "

"_No._ Moonbrain, ya don't get it. It'll mean more to 'er if you just… if you jus' let her do it. Dong ma?"

River did not understand, but she nodded anyway and filed the incident away for later contemplation. The rest of the crew still felt very awkward – most of them, at least – and River did not want to deal with the inevitable confrontations they would have with Jayne. Already the captain felt blue and swirly, proud and - he thought stubbornly – not self-righteous at all. The first whorls of _bad idea_ were in his mind and there was a sixty-six point seven percent chance that he would make Jayne angry with whatever he said. She had originally planned to make her request to Simon, but Jayne's mother _had_ offered to make her a blanket.

She poked the mercenary. "I would like an ice planet."

Jayne frowned at her and she could hear the rusty wheels in his head turn. "And… ?"

"Let us go get ice planets."

He grunted. "No. Make your brother take you."

"Simon wishes to spend time with Kaylee." Knowing that her presence was a strong deterrent, she said, "The girl will pay. For both."

He perked up immediately. "Hey Mal," he called, oblivious to the tension in _Serenity_'s crew, "crazy said she'd buy me an ice planet if I walk over there with 'er. Y'need me for anything?"

"Ahh… no." Mal shook his head. "No. Must admit, I'm a bit surprised you're _volunteerin'_ to spend time with River, but long as there ain't no stabbin' or sellin' of folks, I ain't opposed."

Simon cleared his throat, his over-protective instincts blaring like a klaxon. "I, uh… Just be careful, River, all right? A-are you sure you wouldn't like me or… or Kaylee to – "

"I can only afford two, ge ge. And you do not like ice planets, anyway."

Simon wrinkled his nose a little, but did not dispute his sister's claim. She giggled a little and waved at him.

"Well if we're goin', come on," Jayne told her impatiently, gesturing towards the rest of the station.

"Very well."

"Oh, uh, Jayne?"

The mercenary sighed and turned back. "Yeah, what is it, Mal?"

"Just thought it might… Well, in case you didn't know, you got… You got more friends than just the Shepherd on the boat."

Jayne laughed a little, obviously confused. "Uh… Yeah, sure, Mal, whatever you say." He shook his head, thinking 'What the hell's he on about now?' as he and River turned and headed towards the ice planet stall.

They didn't talk on the way there, just striding along – at Jayne's pace – in silence. River watched the other spacefolk around them, trying not to catch any unpleasant stray thoughts. Occasionally Jayne would pat the pocket his letter was in; he was still carrying his blanket.

When they arrived, River paid the merchant and eagerly grabbed the two sticks, handing the marginally larger one to Jayne. The man selling them grinned at her enthusiasm, wondering if she was Jayne's niece or daughter, or if they were on a date. River sniffed at him and did not bother qualifying.

"Pretty good," Jayne said, managing to take a bite out of his.

River did not have quite the talent he did for ice planets and still found hers to be as problematic as ever. When finally she did manage one quick lick, she was startled by a sudden surge of feeling from Jayne. It was so quick she didn't register anything but a flash of purple, and then… guilt. Whatever he had felt had inspired guilt afterwards. River looked over at him, but his eyes were as far away as he could focus them. Surprisingly, he didn't say a word about how much trouble she was having with her ice planet.

The merchant had wondered if they were on a date; River had never been on a real date before. Kaylee had postulated that the attractive young mechanic might ask her on a date, but suddenly – just in that moment – River was glad that she was with Jayne instead.

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Thanks for reading! Reviews would be greatly appreciated. AND! The Pretty Deadly Awards for 2008 (a Rayne fandom award thing) has opened nominations - GO NOMINATE! NOW! Hee. There are a lot of great fics, archived at prettydeadlyDOTnet, so I totally encourage everyone to go catch up on any reading and nominate the best fics. (Secretly, I'm rooting for one of my suitor-verse fics. :P)


	6. A Stranger's Arms

**Title:** Evolution  
**Chapter:** A Stranger's Arms (6/10)  
**Author:** ILB (or an ardent rain)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairing:** none (over-reaching for the story, though, is Rayne)  
**Set:** post-BDM about a month  
**Written For:** the LJ comm 2by2 Fics  
**Prompts:** 1: Yellow; 2: "Her clothes spread wide, and mermaidlike awhile they bore her up, which time she chanted snatches of old lauds, as one incapable of her own distress, or like a creature native and indued unto that element." -Queen; _Hamlet_ (IV.7.173-178)

**-Notes:** Whoo! Chapter six, and in good time, too! I hope everyone enjoys it. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, but it's sort of what I want. Thanks to all to the reviewers for chapter five! And can I encourage all you story lurkers to review this chapter, too? I'd really like feedback!

* * *

River wrapped herself in the thick, yellow blanket that the Cobb matriarch had made for her. There was a dull hammering at her temples – it had been there for hours (_pounding, pounding_) and she still hadn't found the cause.

Jayne sat down beside her in the little lounge area, nursing a cup of pungent black coffee and a hangover – she could taste his remorse in sour, vigorous waves that he had had so much to drink the previous evening. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grunted.

"Greetings to you, too, man with a girl's name."

Jayne made a disparaging sort of noise and took a long sip of his coffee. "Yeah, whatever you… girl with a water's name."

River gave a soft, half-hearted giggle. Jayne's feeble attempt at an insult was actually quite amusing to her, but the headache she'd had since she woke up overrode any humor. She could certainly sympathize with Jayne's plight, though she felt that his achey cranium was very richly deserved. He'd spent the evening prior in pursuit of cheap whiskey and cheaper women. Whether he found the first, she could only speculate (his hangover a rather telling symptom), but she _knew_ he had found the latter. She never really _meant_ to spy on him, but, on occasions that were growing more and more frequent, she found herself seeking out his mental signature.

"My name is perfectly acceptable; you should not malign it."

"Yeah, acceptable." He looked at her intently. "So's mine." He growled and took another sip of his coffee. River closed her eyes – Jayne was enjoying his drink so much it registered on her radar, and she could almost imagine it sliding down her own throat. "Gorram," he muttered, rubbing his forehead with two thick, grimy fingers. "My head's killin' me."

She sniffed in disapproval. "Perhaps you should not have consumed such a large volume of alcohol."

Jayne shrugged. "The girls kept pourin', so I kept drinkin'."

"Girls?" River asked.

He grinned lasciviously. "They were some damn fine whores. The one I got – she was like what's 'er name… yeah, like Nandi. Used to be a Companion once." He shook his head in – what was in River's opinion far too fond – remembrance. His mood had lifted several rungs already; very few things in the 'verse could cheer Jayne up like the thought of voluptuous female bodies. He turned to her to say something else, when suddenly there was a pop of realization.

He touched the soft knitted yellow of the blanket, right at her knee; River could feel the soft, accidental brush of his hand through the thick weave. A little startled, she pulled her leg closer to her body, looking up at him through her hair.

"This is the blanket my Ma made for ya, ain't it?"

River nodded. "Yes." She pulled it a little tighter around her shoulders. "It is very warm."

"O' course," he said with a frown, "you think she'd be sendin' you somethin' shoddy?"

She shook her head vigorously. "Would never accuse her of such," River assured him. She knew, perhaps even better than Jayne did, just how much time and effort had been put into the present; since the subject of payment had been closed quickly and definitively, River had insisted on thanking her benefactor personally. Jayne – more forced than willing – had reluctantly agreed to wave his mother, and after a little light coercion on River's part, had agreed to let the two converse. It had been formal and brief, but very satisfying. Mary Cobb was a delightful woman; it was a pity, in River's opinion, that she had to have such a rough, untamable son. "I could not have been more pleased."

She pulled the blanket out of Jayne's hand, swaddling herself in it further and rubbing her cheek against the fold of fluffed Rim yarn at her neck.

Jayne watched her. "Well good," he said gruffly. "I know 'er knittin' an' there ain't no way you got any cause to complain."

They sat silently for several minutes more. River had the murmurings in her head to occupy her, and Jayne had his coffee. He took the last long draught, tipping back his head and gulping down the remainder of his drink. He let out a contented sigh, resting his mug on his knee. He looked over at River. "Hey. You know how long we're set to stay in the Black?"

She shook her head. "Still waiting to hear from the contact. Captain does not yet know where we will be setting down."

"Hmm." He stood, smacking his lips a little. River's attention was drawn and she stared at the swatch of bristly hair above them. Though he had no problem with dirt and grime on his clothes or body, Jayne always seemed to keep his hair – that on his scalp and his face – clean and neatly trimmed. He was not the ape that he'd been branded; secretly, River felt his mother was right. If Simon intimated again that Jayne was just an ape, a punch would certainly be appropriate enough to discourage him. She was against violence towards Simon as a rule, but _verbal_ sparring would leave Jayne slashed to ribbons. "See you later, ni zi," he said absently, walking off. "An' don't tell Mal I'm the one that drank his coffee."

The pounding in her head was getting worse. She quirked a smile at the mercenary's broad, retreating back. "As long as he does not ask."

After her conversation with Jayne, River felt her day's social quota had been filled. She had no desire to deal with Simon's petting, and if he noticed she wasn't feeling her best – which he inevitably would – then there was certain to be worrying - and _excessive_ petting. She lay down on the bed in the passenger dorm that had become her bunk, pulling the thick yellow blanket over her head. There were the faint echoes of voices along with the pounding, and River felt nauseated at the pain she felt in those silent screams. Whatever it was had been getting louder and closer, and she wasn't sure what she would do if she had to meet that chaos she felt head on.

_Serenity_ was trying to calm her, but River still felt too close to out-of-control. None of the crew noticed her distress; she hadn't said anything to anyone, and as it was her custom to occasionally hide away from everyone for hours at a time, no one saw anything unusual in her behavior. The feeling only got worse as the day wore on; she stayed in a tight ball, her arms wrapped around her middle, waiting for the pain to pass.

A little before the evening meal was planned, Mal came looking for her. "Albatross," he called, "you in there?" There was a taint of annoyance in his voice; they'd had some turbulence, and it was River's duty as acting pilot to steer them through safely. Mal had not appreciated having to leave Inara's side to go and do River's job. "Got somethin' I need to say."

From inside the dorm there was a whimper. Mal paused mid-knock, his anger dissipating a little. "River?" There was still no answer, and with a sigh he shook his head and turned. It seemed to be a bit less simple than the mere shirking of responsibilities. The best course of action would be to find Simon.

So Mal retreated, heading towards the infirmary to see if he could find the doctor. River was left alone once again. There were colors rushing in rainbow swirls past her eyes, one after the other after blue and indigo and violent violet and the stinging, stifling pain of thick, angry swatches of red. She put her hands over her ears and pulled at her hair, tugging hard at the long, tangled strands. Something was coming… _No_. Something had come and gone, tearing apart everything in its wake, leaving only the pain, the dark, the badness.

River's vision went black and she rose up on her bed, the blanket falling off her body like a curtain of water. She grabbed her stomach, her hand a claw, clutching at her dress as she dry-heaved. There was a sudden moment of stillness and then two things happened: the proximity alarm went off in the cockpit, and River began to scream.

It echoed off the ship's metal walls – a sharp, piercing sound. She couldn't stop herself and she vomited all over the floor. Only two seconds passed before Simon was barreling towards her, panic rising in his gut like bile. "River!" he called. "River, are you all right?"

He rushed into her room, the captain only seconds behind him. River was sprawled out on her bed, her hair fanned out in soft waves around her drawn, pale face. One hand dangled limply off the mattress and her dress was puddled in shallow pools of fabric around her knees.

"Wake up," Simon instructed worriedly, slipping an arm under her shoulders. "River... tell me what's wrong." He sat her up, her body leaning against his arm. She groaned raggedly, her head moving slowly from side to side.

"Don't look like she's in a mood for violence," Mal said, keeping one wary eye on River. "You got her, doc?" Simon nodded, shifting River gently towards the edge of the bed. "Good, 'cause I got to check on _my_ girl."

She let out one choked, helpless scream as the captain rushed towards the bridge, and Simon was there beside her, stroking her arm and whispering soft, soothing assurances. "I need to take you to the infirmary, River," he told her gently. "I'm going to give you something to help you calm down." He could ascertain what had caused her fit just as soon as she was more stable; all he was focused on then was just helping put her back at ease. He led her out of her room and towards the infirmary, one guiding arm around her shoulders. She moved slowly, stiffly - as though walking through knee-high water.

Jayne was waiting in the infirmary doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. He was frowning.

"Move," Simon said hurriedly, nervous despite his need to get a sedative to River.

The impediment snarled but stepped aside. "What the hell's wrong with her this time?"

Simon led River in and sat her down. "Something's upset her," he said coldly, opening a pre-packaged syringe. "It's not… it's not bad, but because she's been so well lately I think it's affecting her more than it would normally." He paused a moment to look at River. "She can't tell me exactly what's wrong."

River was rocking back and forth, covering her ears with her hands. Simon went over and swabbed her arm, then gave her the injection.

Jayne's frown deepened. "She don't like the drugs, ya know."

"It's just a sedative." _'You ape,'_ he thought. River batted at his shoulder with one limp hand.

"She, uh…" Jayne looked around, rubbing at the back of his neck in something Simon could only call embarrassment. "She ain't gonna be scrambled again, is she? I mean… it ain't permanent 'r nothin' right?"

That was… that was _concern_, he heard, Simon was sure of it. "N-no," he stuttered, "it won't be permanent. Whatever stimulus is causing this fit… a-as soon as it goes away, she should be better." He stood in front of River, one hand clasped tenderly on her shoulder. "She'll be better."

"Think I got an answer for you, doc," Mal called, walking into the infirmary just a moment after his words. "Got a ship – looks cold, though. Might 'a' been Reavers. Might 'a' been just a bad accident. Doc, you want to come help assess?"

The captain was not really asking. "Oh, I… If you think there are people aboard that may need me, then I – "

Mal smiled tightly. "Don't ever hurt t'be prepared."

"Hey," Jayne barked. "If'n the doc's gone, who's s'posed to watch his crazy mei mei?"

For a long, thoughtful moment, Mal stared at Jayne bemusedly. "Since you're so concerned, Jayne… how 'bout you?"

Jayne balked. "No way in hell, Mal, I ain't…" But the captain had already turned and walked out. "Hey! Mal!"

"I don't like this any more than you do," Simon said waspishly, his brow puckered in irritation. "Just listen in case she gets upset again. You don't… don't even have to stay with her. It might be better if you don't. Just listen – make sure she doesn't get worked up again. I gave her a good dose so she should fall asleep soon."

"Why are they here?" she asked suddenly. "I tried to do the equations; followed every formula. Tested again and again and again, but there is no solution. Does not exist." She drew in a harsh breath. "They don't know why they're there – all alone. Cold. It's dark there." She looked up at her brother. "Does not exist. People aren't numbers." Her face crumpled and she bit her lip hard, letting out a quick, high-pitched whine.

"Don't worry, mei mei. We'll find them." With a smile at River, Simon ducked out, leaving a scowling Jayne behind him.

"Can't believe I'm stuck here with you," he complained, scowling deeply at River. "Well... get your ass up, girl," he told her impatiently. "I'm hungry, so you can just... sit 'r somethin' while I eat."

River slipped off, her feet landing silently on the floor. "Cold," she said simply, her arms crossed over her chest as her hands clutched her sharp little shoulders.

"This got anything to do with your…" He made a swirling motion at the side of his head.

River nodded, looking up at him with sad eyes. "There is no warmth where there is no life."

"Creepifyin' little witch," Jayne muttered to himself. He knew he was going to end up watching her, no matter how much he tried to convince himself he didn't have to. He was worried; he didn't want her to stay crazy, and it bothered him more than he knew how to express that he was even remotely concerned about her. It left him with a uncomfortable, itchy feeling, and all he wanted was for Simon to return and make his sister right again so he didn't have to deal with her anymore.

River shuffled towards him, oblivious to his thoughts. "I am hungry, too, man-called-Jayne."

He rolled his eyes and huffed. "An' you think that's my problem? Puh. C'mon, girl, we're goin' to the galley." He took a step, but then abruptly stopped and turned back towards her. "You still cold?" River nodded. "I'm gonna go grab your blanket – you go on in an'... an' don't do nothin' crazy."

Jayne strode quickly out, headed to her dorm. River ignored his instructions and plodded along behind him. She grabbed the back of his shirt. "Wha – Girl, what the hell are you playin' at? Don't got a lick of sense, do you? I tell you to do somethin' you best listen." He draped her soft, yellow blanket across her shoulders, then scooped her up into his arms. "You think Kaylee'd notice if we snuck two o' her bananas?" he asked hopefully, not really expecting an answer. River signed _'K'_ with her right hand. He noticed, but didn't understand. "Still feelin' off your rocker, huh? Bet that damn sed the doc gave you ain't helpin' none."

"There are marshmellows. In my head."

"Ain't even goin' to ask what that means."

"You would not understand. Neanderthal."

"Huh? Don't know what that means, but it sounded like an insult. An' if you're well enough to insult me..." He pantomimed dropping her.

"It was an insult." River put her head against his chest, one little hand in a fist in his t-shirt. "But I am sorry."

That appeased him. "No skin off my back," he shrugged. "An' I am tall."

They went into kitchen, River still in his arms. He adjusted his hold a little so he could get a hand free; rummaging through a cabinet, he pulled down a bunch of bananas Kaylee had kept hidden behind a block of protein. "Here," he told River as he sat down on the little couch in the lounge. "Get us two o' those off."

River nodded. She pulled off two bananas and pulled down the peels.

They ate in relative silence and when River finished, she dropped the banana peel to the floor and stretched out across Jayne's thighs. "I am going to sleep now," she told him matter-of-factly. "The voices are quiet now."

"Good." Jayne pulled the blanket up and tucked it around her. He hummed a little as he watched her eyes close. _"Take me out to the black, tell 'em I ain't comin' back. I don't care…"_ He brushed back a lock of hair. _"I'm still free."_

River yawned and curled into him.

Jayne grunted and almost smiled. _"You can't take the sky from me."_

When Simon and Mal returned from the other ship, Jayne and River were still there on the couch. Jayne was flipping through a magazine he'd found under a cushion and quietly singing an old song about the Chinese zodiac.

"Is she all right?" Simon asked, clucking over his sister like a worried mother hen. "She... She didn't have another fit, did she? Is - "

"She's asleep," Jayne told him, a little disgusted with Simon's incessant worrying. "An' she's fine. Got 'er wrapped up, gave her a banana and then she fell asleep."

"A... wh-what?" Simon gaped at him a little, still shell-shocked at the sight of River splayed out carelessly across Jayne's lap. "You gave her a ba- That's not innuendo, is it?"

"Got your unders in a twist there, doc," Mal said casually. He picked up the two banana peels from the floor.

"What was goin' on over there?" Jayne asked.

Both Mal and Simon looked down at River; the captain shook his head.

Jayne sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He stretched his arms over his head, cracking his neck. "Time to get rid o' her, then. You want I should take the moonbrain to 'er room?"

"N-no," Simon answered quickly. "I'll do that. Thank you, for... for watching her."

"Weren't like it was any trouble. As long as the little freak don't try to stab me, we get along just fine."

"Yes," Simon agreed, clearing his throat. "She hasn't wanted to stab you in, uh... in a very long time."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Reviews would be greatly appreciated. And last time I encouraged everyone to go nominate for Pretty Deadly, but soon it'll be time to vote! Chapter seven is coming soon.


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